Refugees by Country 2022

People who are considered refugees are those who have been compelled to leave their country due to persecution on account of their race, religion, nationality, political beliefs, or membership in a social group.

By the middle of 2021, the United Nations predicts that 84 million people will have been uprooted from their homes for reasons of violence or persecution.

The largest ever reported, this figure accounts for the combined plight of 26.6 million foreign nationals now residing in a country other than their country of origin, 48 million internally displaced persons, and 4.4 million asylum-seekers (as well as several million niche cases, such as stateless individuals).

Around 50% of the world’s refugees are under the age of 18.

The Ukrainian refugee crisis of 2022

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many Ukrainians fled the country.

Though accurate refugee counts will not be available until 2023 (and thus will not be reflected on this page’s totals), the United Nations estimates that the invasion has already resulted in at least 4.8 million international refugees and that an additional 7.1 million people are still internally displaced inside the country.

The United Nations described the Ukrainian refugee crisis as “the quickest and greatest displacement of people in Europe since World War II” in April 2022.

The top 10 countries hosting the most international refugees as of mid-2021:

• Turkey — 3,696,831
• Jordan — 3,027,729
• Uganda — 1,475,311
• Pakistan — 1,438,523
• Lebanon — 1,338,197
• Germany — 1,235,160
• Sudan — 1,068,339
• Bangladesh — 889,775
• Iran — 800,025
• Ethiopia — 782,896

80% of the world’s refugees flee from one poor country to another, generally a nearby country with fewer resources and fewer people to help them. This complicates refugee rescue operations.

To provide just two examples, Uganda and Sudan are both among the top countries that take in the most refugees yet rank towards the bottom of the Human Development Index compiled by the United Nations (HDI).

Additionally, Sudan is a major source of refugees worldwide (see list further down this page). Weaker desire to help, welcome, and integrate immigrants is a common problem in more developed countries despite their better ability to do so.

Refugee classifications

However, only a small fraction of the world’s displaced population consists of those who have to relocate to a whole other country. Forcibly displaced people often end up as refugees inside their own country since they do not have the resources or opportunities to go to another country.

During the middle of the year 2021, there were 48 million IDPs, compared to 26.6 million foreign refugees. Asylum seekers, who go abroad to apply for refugee status, and stateless individuals, who are not citizens of any country, are two more subsets of refugees.

Which countries are the primary origins of refugees?

Due to factors like conflict, persecution, and violence, nations with these problems tend to produce more refugees than those with better security and stability. The five nations that produced 68% of the world’s refugees in 2021 were Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar.

In addition, the number of Palestinian refugees is not included in global statistics, most likely because Palestine is not a United Nations member. The proportion would be far greater if the top six nations were also included.

Top 10 countries of origin for international refugees (as of mid-2021):

• Syria — 6,761,560
• Venezuela — 3,944,279
• Palestine* — 3,372,780 (+2,373,430 IDPs)
• Afghanistan — 2,610,067
• South Sudan — 2,277,919
• Myanmar — 1,127,588
• Democratic Republic of the Congo — 864,510
• Sudan — 805,874
• Somalia — 790,022
• Central African Republic — 713,262

*Palestine is not included in all totals since it is not a recognised member of the United Nations.

As of the middle of 2021, the majority of the world’s displaced persons were Syrians fleeing the country’s civil war.

Over 6.7 million Syrians have fled the country, however, the vast majority have stayed in the Middle East, mostly in Turkey (3.69 million), Lebanon (852k), Jordan (668k), and Germany (616k).

Another 6.8 million internally displaced people (IDPs) are currently living in temporary shelters throughout the nation.

Also See: Proposed Countries 2022

Causes of refugee migration

As seen in Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and (obviously) 2022 Ukraine, armed conflicts and wars are the primary motivators for refugees to flee their countries.

Another major factor is drought and hunger, which are exacerbated or brought on entirely due to climate change (as is the attendant food insecurity, such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Sudan and Somalia, for example, are undergoing both drought and political turmoil; Afghanistan is enduring armed conflict, drought, and natural catastrophes; and this is just to name a few examples.